The explosion of solar and wind power projects in the arid Southwest necessitates devising means to control soil erosion, and the inclusion of erosion control strategies within the scope of work.

1. The explosion of solar and wind power projects in
the arid Southwest necessitates devising means to
control soil erosion, and the inclusion of erosion
control strategies within the scope of work. Erosion
must be mitigated with high-quality products and
targeted techniques.
Which type of dust control products should you use?
It really depends upon a host of variables that are
site-specific: overall climate, special weather
conditions, soil type, topography of the project
area, drainage, duration of the project, and time
available to establish vegetation. In addition,
think about how you can minimize long-term
maintenance issues, conserve water, reintroduce
native plants, and maximize site aesthetics.
Two specific products can provide effective, long-term
dust control:
• Flexterra®, High-Performance Flexible Growth
Media, (FGM)
• CocoFlex®, Extended Term Flexible Growth
Media, (FGM-ET)
Flexterra® HP-FGM Specifications:
• Functional Longevity: < 18 mths
• Slope: less than or equal to 1H:1V
• Level of protection (effectiveness): 99%
• Water Holding Capacity: 1700%
• Vegetation Establishment (800% min)
• Application location: extremely eroded areas,
areas exposed to extreme weather conditions,
and sensitive areas requiring long-term
functional longevity
Flexterra® HP-FGM
consists of 100%
recycled and phyto-
sanitized wood fibers and
biodegradable crimped
interlocking fibers.
Micro-Pore particles
optimize water and
nutrient retention while
increasing wet-bond
strength and increased
resistance to sheet flow.
Its 100% non-toxic
biopolymers and water
absorbents encourage
vegetative establishment.
Continued on page 2
Erosion control strategies
for the arid Southwest

2. 1415 East 6th Street • P.O. Box 861715 • Los Angeles, California 90086
Phone: (213) 626-9668 • Toll-Free: (800) 621-0315 • Fax: (213) 626-4920
www.stoverseed.com
Tests following EPA protocols confirm the product is
completely safe for aquatic and terrestrial life forms. It
immediately bonds to the soil surface to reduce turbidity
of runoff for up to 18 months.
CocoFlex®, FGM-ET Specifications:
• Functional Longevity: < 24 mths
• Slope: less than or equal to 0.5 H:1V
• Level of protection (effectiveness): 99%
• Water Holding Capacity: 1500%
• Vegetation Establishment (500% min)
• Applications: extreme erosive areas, extreme
weather conditions, sensitive areas, requiring a
maximum functional longevity
CocoFlex® ET-FGM is a hydraulically-applied, flexible
erosion control blanket with a functional longevity of up
to 24 months. It is composed of long strand, thermally
processed wood fibers, slow degrading coconut fibers,
crimped biodegradable interlocking fibers, and
biopolymer tackifiers. It requires no curing period and
upon application forms an intimate bond with the soil
surface to create a continuous, porous, absorbent and
erosion resistant medium that allows for rapid
germination and accelerated plant growth.
Cocoflex® ET-FGM provides several key
performance advantages:
• Longevity - Two full years of protection, keeping
the dust down, off of the solar panels, allowing the
native vegetation to establish, per ASTM D5388
• Superior Water Retention, and maximum water
infiltration keeping moisture onsite, reducing runoff,
in the arid climate which accelerates the emergence of
vegetation, >1500% by weight
• Outstanding Erosion Control effectiveness, 99.99.%,
unsurpassed erosion prevention, even in high wind
and precipitation runoff from of the individual panels.
• Excellent Vegetation establishment, > 500% compared
to bare soil per ASTM D7322.
• Manufactured from nontoxic biopolymer tackifiers,
thermally refined wood fiber, long lived coconut
fibers, and crimped biodegradable fibers.
• CocoFlex® ET-FGM is immediately effective, with
no cure time required, and can be applied on a wet site
or in damp weather.
• CocoFlex® ET-FGM is 100% Biodegradable,
per ASTM D5338, and Non-toxic to plant or
aquatic organisms, per EPA 2021.0, Whole Effluent
Toxicity testing.
• Cocoflex® ET-FGM has no germination or growth
inhibiting factors and does not form a water-resistant
crust that can inhibit plant growth.
A Complementary Strategy
Incorporating Native seeds into these hydraulic mulches
can be an important part of extending the dust control
ability of a project by building in a 'delayed seed'. Seeds
with a high hard seed component can ensure seed
survivability when moisture is not readily available. As a
general rule, seed with a high hard seed content means
the seed will need outside pressure to break the dormancy
(fire, heat or acid wash in a laboratory) so it will
germinate. Dormancy enables seed to remain viable as
they patiently wait at the project site for the right
environmental conditions for optimal germination.
This is a very effective strategy for seeding an arid site.
Erosion Control Continued from Page 1